Stampede Stop Musketeers 4-2 In Final Preseason Game

SIOUX CITY, IA -- The Sioux Falls Stampede scored two goals 1:50 into the second period and it proved to be the difference as they downed the Sioux City Musketeers 4-2 Saturday night in the final game of the USHL Fall Classic West.

Logan O’Connor tallied a goal and two assists while Troy Loggins (1g, 1a) and Dakota Joshua (2a) turned in two point nights. Art Brey earned the victory in goal, stopping 36 of 38 shots as the Herd finished preseason play with a 2-2-0 record. Sioux Falls opens regular season play next Saturday in Bloomington, IL.

The Stampede wasted little time getting on the board, scoring just 1:37 on a goal from Loggins. O’Connor raced with the puck down the right wing boards wristing a shot on net, but the rebound bounced to Loggins who knocked it past Musketeers goaltender Cam Gornet to give Sioux Falls a 1-0 lead.

The Herd added to their lead at 10:47 when Will Graber scored his second goal as in many days. Nikolas Koberstein found Loggins open on the right wing side who fed the puck inside the left circle to Graber who slapped the shot through the five-hole of Gornet to give Sioux Falls a 2-0 edge.

Less than two minutes later the Musketeers got on the board when Joe Snively took the puck behind the Stampede net and sent a pass into the right circle to Sam Kurker who one-timed it into the upper left hand corner of the net past Brey to make it a 2-1 game.

The period would end 3:50 early when a divot in the ice couldn’t be fixed quickly and it was played after the Zamboni resurfaced the ice. Neither team would score though and it would end 2-1 Sioux Falls with shots even 12-12.

After a  two minute break, the second period began and it only took Sioux Falls 21 seconds as Joshua sent a pass in the high slot to O’Connor who slapped the puck into the back of the net to give the Stampede a two goal advantage at 3-1.

The Herd increased their lead to 4-1 when O’Connor sent a pass from the right circle across the ice to Tyler Nanne who came in on the back end down the left wing boards and one-timed it into the net for a 4-1 advantage.  Joshua also earned an assist on the goal for the Stampede who would hold that lead until the 13:41 when Bobo Carpenter took a pass in the slot from Ryan Zuhlsdorf and tucked the puck just under the crossbar, past Brey to cut the Herd’s lead to 4-2. Sioux City outshot the Herd 13-9 in the period.

In the third, Sioux City controlled play, outshooting the Herd 12, but Brey stood tall stopping all 12 Sioux City chances and held of the Musketeers offense to preserve the victory.

The game then went to a five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime as part of a potential rule change for next season. The Stampede had a power play opportunity in the overtime, but were unable to score and the five minutes expired without either team tallying a goal.

The Musketeers outshot the Stampede 38-22 on the night and went 1-for-8 on the power play while Sioux Falls finished 1-for-2.

The Stampede coaches will now have to cut the rosters down to 24 players prior to the first game next Saturday, September 27th at Bloomington against the expansion Thunder at 7:05 PM.

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Stampede